


Got A Crush On You

by 1sttimefeeling



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Charles is still damaged, M/M, Pietro steals random objects, Post-X-Men: Days of Future Past
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2017-05-30
Packaged: 2018-02-13 20:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2164887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/1sttimefeeling/pseuds/1sttimefeeling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles knows what happens when bright, happy go-lucky boys fall for moody boys with tortured lives. Destruction, heartbreak, separation. </p><p>So when Pietro falls head over heels for Alex, he'll do whatever he can to prevent history from repeating itself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based on the prompt located here:
> 
> http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/11912.html?thread=23079816#t23079816

The second week Pietro stays at the Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters is also the day he falls head over heels in love. With someone he’s just met.

It isn’t the normal every day ‘You’re-kind-of-hot-I’d-love-to-do-you” love. It’s the ‘You’re-the-bolt-of-lightning-that-struck-me-from-the-sky-and-God-help-me-I-love-you,” love. Alex is the spark that kindles his fire.

And God, Pietro is burning.

Alex is ten years his senior, but he's chiseled and mature and tempting in the moody sort of damaged way. His exterior is like steel, but Pietro senses something soft and sentimental in the way he smiles, in the way his blue eyes soften at the edges. He's mysterious and alluring with an edge of something boyish and full of mischief, and he finds his heart positively bursting with desire. To love and to be loved by this man. 

When Alex's hands clasps his in a firm handshake, it leaves tingles on his skin. (As far as he knows, Alex doesn't have that mutation.) "The legendary Quicksilver,” Alex says. “It's nice to finally see the face behind the name." He’s still guarded but there’s something of amusement in his eyes. 

Pietro adjusts the goggles on his head, a nervous habit, and the frozen, polite smile he’s wearing breaks into a crooked grin. "You heard I broke into the Pentagon."

And then he flushes. Jesus Christ, He thinks. Could I have said anything more stupid? It’s only what every mutant everywhere has been talking about for the last two weeks. He's expecting Alex to talk down to him and ruffle his hair like he’s a child.

"It's incredible, really,” Alex says, with ease. “I wish I could've seen it."

Pietro’s nearly oozing with delight at Alex’s words, pleased he's being treated like an equal. His control over his curiosity slips as he blurts, “Where were you, anyway?”

Alex sighs then, the light in his eyes dimming. Pietro scolds himself inwardly for asking something so personal. “Got drafted.” Alex grimaces. “A mutant war is one thing. But that? That was fucking pointless.”

“I’m sorry,” Pietro says quietly, because he really is. He’s seen what war does to people. He’s seen the torment they have to live with their entire lives.

“It’s fine,” Alex says flatly, shaking the haunting thoughts out of his head.

Pietro forces a little smile.“It’s too bad, really. You probably would’ve enjoyed the thrill of being shot at with the best of guns in America.”

Alex’s smile is back, and God, Pietro does really love his smile.

"I don't know if I find it thrilling to be shot at at all," He says dryly.

Pietro gives a shy sort of shrug. "I thought it was thrilling."

Alex laughs, actually laughs, and slings an arm around his shoulders. The weight is grounding and Pietro’s stomach is doing some kind of acrobatic routine.

  
If he could have this, just this, he could probably die happy.


	2. Chapter 2

They're gathered in the kitchen when Pietro darts in, his goggles pulled over his eyes and hair in a tangled mess.

"Alex!" He calls, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Look what I stole for you."

He hands him some kind of bamboo tube and Alex looks lost. He's charmed that Pietro had stole something for him in the first place but he has not the slightest idea of what it is. He looks up to ask Charles if he knows what it is, but closes his mouth as he sees the professor's disapproving eyes, his mouth set in a hard line.

"Thanks?" He says to Pietro, doing his best to look baffled. He turns it over in his hands, running a finger down a red stripe. "Sorry, but what the hell is this?"

Pietro grins, the smile twisting Alex's gut in pain-joy-pain, because that was the smile Darwin wore when they played pinball, the smile he wore when they were hunched over in laughter and God, he thought he was over this.

"It's a Chinese finger trap," Pietro answers. "You stick your fingers in both ends, and have to try to get out of it."

Alex does as Pietro instructs, and when he tries to pull his fingers out of the tube, it tightens.

"What the fuck?" He pulls harder, and the trap only seems to tighten more.

Pietro laughs.

"Who knew Havok could be beaten by a little bamboo trap?" He teases. Alex growls at him, but whatever retort he was about to spit out is lost as Pietro's soft hands wrap around his wrists, guiding his fingers back together and easing them out of the trap. "Sometimes you need to let go for things to fix themselves," He says with a shrug. Pietro's eyes dart once to Charles in the corner, and then back at Alex.

Then Alex blinks and Pietro's gone.

 

* * *

 

"Has anyone else noticed the way Pietro is practically hanging off of Alex?" Raven asks. "They're inseparable. And I think it's kind of cute."

Hank pushes his glasses up and looks up from the text he's reading. He squints. "How long is Alex staying, anyway?"

"He said it would be a week," Erik says. "It's been two."

He's on the opposite side of the room, distant from Charles who's still hurting and furious with him for the damage he'd caused. Even so, they still retire to his room to play chess in the evenings, and discuss just about everything that was really nothing. They spoke nothing of their issues. Then they'd part their separate ways and remain the cold, tense barrier they've sustained since the beach.

"The Divorce" is what Alex and Pietro liked to refer to it as. Erik had always liked Alex, he'd even seen a bit of himself inside him. Now that he'd been hanging around Pietro, he'd become a bit more irritating, but smiled more often, and Erik sees less and less of the damaged man and instead a maturing one learning to pick up the pieces. Pietro's good for him.

"I don't like it," Charles says. "Pietro's a bright young man. Does he really need the burden of Alex's pain to weigh him down? They're too different for it to work. It's best if it's just a passing crush. He'll be over it in a month."

Charles genuinely likes the both of them. He finds Pietro a huge pain in the ass, but honest and true, nonetheless. Alex was one of his earliest students, and he's admired how far he's grown into his skin. But Charles knows the two of them are never going to work.

History is doomed to repeat itself unless someone stops it. And he knows first-hand what it's like for happy go-lucky boys to fall for moody boys with tortured lives. The end result is always destruction.

There's silence before Raven pipes up,"They're good for each other, though. I've never seen them so happy before." She sighs. "Love conquers all, doesn't it?"

Charles doesn't respond. Maybe once he would've thought so. Before the betrayal, before the beach, maybe he would've agreed. His gaze finds Erik's and holds, their eyes locked.

Erik looks away first and excuses himself from the room. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pancakes, emotions, and poor Charles

Charles rolls into the room and is greeted with the sight of Pietro placing a sky-high stack of pancakes in front of Alex. Pietro's eyes skitter to Charles before he blushes and stutters to Alex, "I..um..I can't cook, or make pancakes, so I just..stole them. They're a bit cold."

"Beggars can't be choosers, I guess," Alex remarks with a teasing smile. He pulls the seat out next to him. "Come on, help me eat this."

  
The love radiating off of the two of them turns Charles' stomach. It's young love, and it's supposed to be sweet, but all he's focused on is the wariness in the back of Alex's mind. (An iron fence, concealing warmth.) It's disconcerting how familiar the emotion is to him. It had always emanated off of Erik.  
Charles worries for Pietro, he knows Pietro will get his heart shattered into a million pieces. He'll be crushed knowing that he and Alex could've been something, if not for the issues of Alex's past which shape and build the person he is today.

Charles rakes a hand through his hair and shuts his eyes, the waves of affection and desire projecting off of Pietro is drowning him in bitterness.  
Would it be so bad to mute his feelings a little? To get inside Pietro's head and tell him it's only a little crush, or that Alex isn't so great after all? It's nothing harmful, just a little meddling so things will straighten themselves out. He always wants the best for his students, and maybe this is how he stops the brutal history from repeating himself.

With an unwavering hand, he touches his temple.

 

* * *

 

It's not hard to find the core of Pietro's love. It's weaved delicately in the center of his mind, glowing and growing rampantly. If he focuses hard, Charles can easily dampen the lustrous thread of feeling. To preserve Pietro's sanity. (And his own).  
There's a hand on his shoulder that jolts him.

"Charles. Don't."

Charles takes a deep, pained breath and closes his eyes. His hand drops to his lap and his cheeks burn.  
Oh how the tables have turned. Erik is telling him not to do something? This is nothing compared to what Erik has done.  
Alex and Pietro glance over with their mouths full of pancakes.

"Is everything alright, prof?" Pietro asks, a goofy looking grin on his face. His expression falters as he sees the grave look on Erik's face.  
Alex's eyes darken at the sight of Erik's hand on Charles' shoulder. He can forgive the beach, but there's no way he can forget it. He knows Erik is a monster when he falls into darkness. When not even Charles can reach him, mass destruction follows.

  
Charles gives a tired sigh and nods."Everything's fine," He says flatly.

He wheels himself away from Erik and the boys, and into the next room. Erik is not far behind him.

Pietro tilts his head slightly, as if to ask what's wrong, while Alex chews and swallows the pancakes in his mouth."The Divorce," He mumbles. Pietro nods, like the words answer everything. They finish breakfast and Alex cleans up their plates and drops them in the sink.

Pietro is smiling at him brightly, brimming with energy that's so familiar to Alex.

He slumps down in the chair, his face in his hands as he says,"Do you know who you remind me of?"

Pietro eyes snap up to his face, knowing they're venturing into dangerous territory."Who?" He asks softly. "Who do I remind you of?"

"Sean," Alex says with a broken smile. "Banshee. He was- he was a..friend of mine. He- I loved him." He sucks in a deep breath and shuts his eyes. "I should've told him, Pietro. I should've told him. And then he was just gone one day, you know? I tried to forget him, but..when I heard he died I just-" He breaks off, feeling like his throat is closing in on him. "I should've protected him. I should've been there for him and I-" He swallows. "And I wasn't."

Pietro sees Alex's trembling hands, laid bare on the table. Slowly and tentatively, he takes them in his own. He's seen only glimpses of the depth and darkness to Alex, the pain behind his joy, the damage behind his smiles, but this is his real havoc stripped bare.

"It's not your fault, Alex. There was nothing you could do," He soothes softly. "He left without telling you."

Alex stares blankly across the room and squeezes Pietro's hands."Yeah. He did."

They sit in silence, bitter tears brimming in Alex's stormy eyes. Pietro has never seen him so distraught, and it hurts, wounds him in ways he can't explain. Even still, it's beautiful to see Alex so vulnerable and open, trusting Pietro to bear such a heavy weight.

Pietro wipes away a fallen tear, leaving a hand on Alex's cheek."You're okay," He murmurs. "You tried your best. You didn't know."

Alex's shoulders slump and he nods, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"I didn't know," He whispers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confrontations and conflict

"Charles. Would you like to explain to me what the hell that was?"

Erik storms across the room to where Charles is sitting.

His presence, bristling with concern and regret feels like someone is dragging barbed wire across his skin. He shivers. If Erik hadn't trusted him before, there's no way he would ever trust him now. Using his powers on a student. Classic.

"You saw what it was, Erik. I don't think you need an explanation." Charles does not look at him.

"Those are our students. We're supposed to protect them, not use our powers against them," Erik says darkly. "What were you thinking?"

"That I was protecting them!" Something dark flits across Erik’s face.

"You don't get to mess with people's heads like that," Erik says. "Not without their permission.”

"I don't see you asking for permission before using your mutation," Charles says, dangerously calm. "In fact, I seem to recall numerous events where you've defied express orders not to use them.” His lip curls. "Protect them, hm? That's why you got a brotherhood of mutant soldiers together."

"They chose to join me." Erik’s voice is resigned, and Charles doesn't need to read his mind to know how sick he is of this argument.

"Some of them were only in their teens!"

"You mean Raven."

"And Angel."

"This isn't about Angel, and you know it." Charles glares at him. His mind is reeling with everything Erik had imposed on the poor girl (his sister for God’s sake), egging her on with new ideas and then attacking her in the end. "You tried to kill Raven, Erik. What I was doing was nothing compared to that."

"I was taking precautionary measures," Erik says, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "I didn't want that future."

"Perhaps I was taking precautionary measures as well." He gestures to the kitchen.

Erik opens his mouth, and then closes it again.

"What?"

Charles shakes his head and sighs. "Alex doesn't trust him enough. Distrust breeds badly, especially in mutants."

Erik's brow is still furrowed. Charles can sense the gears working in his brain, trying to wrap his mind around what exactly he’s implying. Charles flexes his hand as he waits.

"They’re.." He stops. "They're nothing like us, Charles."

Charles forces a smile. “Yes they are. There's a barrier between them. They're too different.”

Erik runs a hand through his hair. “Different? They were taught by you. They have your beliefs.”

Charles shakes his head slowly. “Alex is more like you. Even with my beliefs it will always be a barrier between them." He sighs. "I always thought you’d learn to change.”

Erik stares at him. Charles can feel the hurt flickering through his mind, the way Erik’s thoughts dive back down to the horrors Shaw had put him through. "Sometimes people are too damaged to change, Charles." His mouth twists in a grimace. "You're too good for this world.”

Charles meets his stormy eyes, flashing with something akin to the monster he saw on the beach.

“I, on the other hand, am exactly what it deserves."

 

* * *

 

Most days Pietro is patient.

Other days, like today, his stomach hardens and his jaw clenches just watching Alex. The amount of self-restraint Alex has is remarkable, and Pietro doesn't want to push but, God, he wants. He’s made it clear with the passing touches and soft smiles that he wants more than what they have, but he doesn't see any neon lights or billboard signs that Alex wants the same.

Their fingers brush as they hand things to each other, Pietro moves into Alex’s personal space more often than not. The frustrating thing is, Alex moves away. The accidental hand holding lasts a fraction of a second, the arm around his shoulders lasts for even less. It hurts, and he feels foolish with each attempt to initiate contact or conversation, but he keeps trying.

He keeps persisting because he knows if he breaks through this barrier, it will all be worth it.

 

* * *

 

They're sprawled out on Pietro's bed, hunched over and laughing at something stupid.

Pietro's delighted that he can make Alex laugh so hard, redness blooming in his cheeks. Alex wipes tears from his eyes, grinning at Pietro, who smiles brightly back. Alex's grin wavers, and Pietro knows there's something else wrong. He always sees the pain-joy-pain behind his smile, and as much as it's great Alex is smiling, it hurts to see the damage.

"What is it?" He asks softly.

"I killed someone who smiled like you do," Alex says, with an air of forced casualty.

"Darwin?"

"You've heard of him?"

"Yeah."

They sit in silence for a few minutes. "You didn't kill him."

"Yeah, I did."

"Alex, Shaw killed him. You were only trying to help. You would never do that intentionally, I know you."

Alex blinks at him, as though he's never heard anyone say that to him before. He props himself up on an elbow, so that he's face to face with Pietro. "If I hadn't-

"If you hadn't done what you did, you probably would have all died."

Alex stares at the younger boy, his blue eyes bright and close enough for Pietro to count the specks of color. His heart is hammering heavily in chest, and he's bursting to the seams with hope. Pleasepleasepleaseplease

"I-" Alex starts to speak before he catches himself and shakes his head. He smiles and tilts his head, his lips brushing against Pietro's. Then he's hauling him closer and kissing him like Pietro is air and Alex is drowning. Pietro's kissing him just as desperately back, love and want and need apparent in his ragged breaths, the way he's maneuvering their lips together.

Alex pulls away first. He pushes himself off the bed and frowns. Does he feel this way because of his old friends? Old love interests? Or does he feel this way because Pietro is dazzling, bright, and supportive of him, always by his side no matter the darkness that overcomes him?

It's wrong of him to do this. He thinks he loves him but Pietro's ten years younger, and he's got a whole life ahead of him, and he should be with someone who deserves him. Someone with less pain. Alex can't let himself hover in between. He'd rather be sure of his feelings than use him until he knows. He doesn't want to be the one to break his sunny smile and dazzling eyes.

"Alex?" His eyes are like a puppy's, and it scares Alex how much he wants to kiss him again, kiss him and love him before he loses Pietro like everyone else.

"I- I need to think some things over," He says, and scurries out of the room.

He packs his things and leaves.

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More pancakes, emotions, and teaching Charles some lessons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. How have three years flown by? I stumbled on this little fic I started and realized I never got around to finishing it. Sorry for the interminable wait, and thanks for reading! :)

Charles is furious. His anger is projected all over the school and most of the mutants are breaking out into fights or moping. He doesn't care. Alex abandoned Pietro, like Erik did him. He’s right, and history repeated itself and Pietro's going to be damaged beyond repair. It’s all Erik's fault. If he had only stopped the pure and undying love that Pietro had felt for Alex, he wouldn't be begging Charles to find him.

The teen is on his knees, hands clasped in front of the wheelchair. His hair’s a tangled mess and there are obvious dark circles under his glassy eyes.

"Please, Professor. I need to talk to him. I don’t know what’s going on in his head and it’s always dangerous when he’s left with just his thoughts."

Charles feels his heart shattering again, the pain echoing in his heart as he watches this boy's heart crumble, like his did on a beach, so many years ago.

"Let me help you forget about him," Charles says. "He's not worth your pain, nor the person you'll become."

Pietro blinks at him, reeling backwards. "Is that what you're afraid of?"

Charles frowns. He’s giving him the chance of a lifetime. To save him from the pain, the suffering, the fucking memories. He can’t forget Erik because he’s _too important_   but if he could, he’d take the chance in a heartbeat.

"You won't do it because you're afraid he'll reject me. You're afraid that I'm going to turn into you and I'll be damaged because of his damage." Pietro scowls. "Alex is worth all the pain, you know. He's not what you think he is. "

Charles can practically see the steel, the burning fury that's thrumming in his veins.

"You don't get to make the decision whether I find him or not, because even if you won't tell me, I'll find him myself. I'm going to fix this." The strength behind his words is admirable. He doesn’t want to see this boy crash and burn.

Calmly, Pietro straightens up and says, "There's a reason we learn about history, Prof.”

Charles raises an eyebrow."To prevent similar incidents from the happening in the future?"

"No. To learn from others' mistakes."

* * *

 

Alex is eating pancakes alone.

They’re banana pancakes and they’re warm and just all wrong. His hand is curled in a tight fist around the fork. Pietro should be here. They should be shoveling pancake after pancake in their mouths, syrup and whipped cream all over his mouth and hands and smile.

He closes his eyes.

He doesn’t know if his grief is making him absolutely mad, and he’s crushing on someone already gone. Maybe he’s just lingering on the shared traits in Pietro and all the others.

And then there’s the age difference. It shouldn’t bother him, but it really, absolutely does. Pietro is young and bubbly and bright and there is nothing he wants more than to illuminate the light he exudes, not put it out. He’s more mature, he knows that, but with more maturity comes more weight and more pain and more experience. Pietro will have to bear that weight, and Alex isn’t sure he wants to burden him with it all.

He digs through his bag to find his phone and finds a little bamboo tube in one of the pockets.

_“Sometimes you need to relax and let go for things to fix themselves.”_

He doesn’t force the smile at the memory. It just happens.

Being with Pietro will be tough, even impossible, but he knows he can’t mistake the skittering of his heart every time Pietro gives him a big grin or brushes his shoulders.

Not all relationships are meant to last forever, but what would be the harm in trying? A part of him knows he could lose him, just as easily as he’s lost the other two. But he had missed out on too many opportunities with the others lost in his own worries and responsibilities.

And if he's honest with himself, he’d trade all his days alone if he could just spend one more day with Pietro.

* * *

 

“What _the fuck_ has gotten into you, Charles?” Raven storms into his room, red hair floundering. He hasn’t seen Erik in a week. He stopped coming to chess. Not that he cares.

“Nothing,” He says flatly. He needs to tread carefully, he senses simmering fury from his sister, but above all, concern.

“Don’t give me that shit. You’ve been doing that creepy lurking thing with Pietro and Alex, and I had to hear from Erik, _Erik,_ Charles, that you practically brainwashed the two of them into hating each other.”

Charles opens his mouth to protest, but Raven waggles her finger at him. “Nope. You lost your right to talk when you refused to help Pietro find Alex.” She takes a step closer to him. “So I started thinking. Why would Charles want to separate two guys from their own happiness? You always give to others, you always do what’s best for them. So maybe you thought it was best. "

She crosses her arms."Whenever you do something completely idiotic, Erik is usually involved. And what do you and Erik and Pietro and Alex have in common? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe eager, bright-eyed guys falling for brooding guys with tortured lives.” She sighs. “You’re being completely ridiculous. This whole feud between you and Erik has been expanding and ruining everyone else’s lives. He’s been trying to redeem himself, and you’re just moping. I gave you the first months, but now he’s here and he’s just as miserable, so you need to get your head out from your ass and make up.”

Charles hates that she’s right. He allows his mind to wander for a moment, and pulls on a tightly wrapped feeling of exasperation. It unravels to reveal her own misery at her brother’s depression and her anger at Erik for turning on her. He involuntarily curls around the feeling, ready to push it away, but he senses something else. Something he hasn’t felt in a long time.

It’s calm and cool, like a sheet of metal or ice. Forgiveness.

“Even I’ve forgiven Erik, Charles,” She says softly. “You should too.”

He finds he likes the feeling more than he’d admit.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roses are red, Charles is blue, Alex comes back, and an "I love you."

Alex returns to the mansion a week later, and Pietro is at his side as soon as he steps out of his car.

Alex's eyes widen and Pietro's heart is hammering heavily in his chest, a constant drumming of _pleasepleaseplease_. He hopes Alex hadn't changed his mind. Not after they'd come so far.

"Welcome back. We've missed you." He’s so eager to please he stumbles on the words. "Erm.. I've missed you, at least. The professor might be furious with y-mph."

He's cut off as Alex wraps his arms around his shoulders and crashes their lips together. Alex tastes like peppermint and smells of the warm summer air, and there's nothing else he can really ask for. His world is exploding and all that's left is the euphoria that _Alex is back_. And Pietro loves him, loves this beautiful, perfect man who's kissing him like he never wants to let go.

When they break apart, Alex's eyes are actually _glittering_ and there's no pain behind his grin as he says,

"Been wanting to do that for a while now."

Pietro laughs because he's so giddy and high off of that kiss, _everything_ seems funny. "I stole something for you," Alex says suddenly.

Pietro blinks.

"You did?"

"Yeah."

Alex digs through his jacket pocket, before pulling out a plastic red rose.

“A plastic flower?” Pietro asks, brow furrowing. (Alex thinks he looks positively adorable like that, but knows better than to say so.)

“It never dies,” Alex says, with a shrug. He places it in Pietro's hands, and Pietro grins widely at him, pulling him into another searing kiss. Alex's hands tangle in his wild hair and he bites at his lips, pushing him against the outside of the school. They kiss like they’re drowning in each other and Pietro feels like it’s hours, though it’s only been a few mintues.

"Inside?" He asks, panting.

"God, yes," Alex answers. Pietro takes his hand.

"Close your eyes." He instructs. " Hold onto me." With a mischievous smile, he speeds inside and drops Alex in his bedroom. Alex looks dazed and rubs his head, trying to steady himself on his own two feet.

"Damn, Pietro," He says, laughing. Pietro laughs as well and wraps his arms around Alex's neck, kissing his lips and down his jaw, and to the column of his throat. Pink heat creeps up Alex’s throat and he grins sheepishly. He pushes Pietro down to the bed, pinning him down.

"Let’s not go so fast for once," Alex says, breath tingling on Pietro’s cheek. He thinks of all the friends he’s lost, the plastic rose tucked in Pietro’s pocket, and all he wants is this moment to last.

Pietro's chest is rising and falling as he pants, but his eyes are clear and bright and a thousand scenarios and possibilities flash across his mind. Alex watches him for a moment, savoring his hungry gaze, and then he smiles, diving down and smothering his lips in kisses, tugging the hem of his shirt up and over his head.

Pietro feels foolishly boyish in front of Alex's toned, solid body, but the way Alex looks at him, part hungry, part loving, makes him feel warm and confident in his own skin. He pulls at Alex's shirt, growling in frustration when it doesn't come off.

"Off," He mutters. "Take it off." Alex steals another kiss from his lips, pulls off his shirt, and Pietro's mouth goes completely dry.

Jesus fucking Christ.

He must be gaping, because Alex stares at him, confused and just a tad bashful.

"What?"

"You're just.." He trails a finger down his tanned, defined abs. “Fuck.” Alex smiles and bends over to kiss Pietro's chest. His mouth finds a nipple and flicks his tongue over the nub.

Pietro shivers, the sensation going straight downwards.

"Oh God.." He moans. Alex grins wickedly at him, kissing down his stomach, and works the buttons of his trousers, unzipping and pulling them off. Alex traces a line down the hardness straining through the silken fabric of his boxers. He smiles. "Alex, please." Pietro pants.

Alex hooks his fingers underneath the waistband of his boxers, yanking them to his knees.

Pietro whimpers as Alex’s hands move away, and Alex’s eyes are raking over his form.

The noises Pietro’s making, and having him spread out right in front of him is too much to resist. He wanted this to last but.. he’d have other times.

“Fuck waiting, “ He mutters under his breath. “You always moved faster than most people, anyway.”

Pietro gives a delighted giggle, which quickly turns to a series of moans.

 

* * *

 

Charles knows the moment Alex comes back. The sparks that fly off of Pietro’s and Alex’s mind are impossible to ignore. The quaking fury he expected doesn’t come. He’s just.. wistful. They have something beautiful that he could’ve had.

There's a knock on Charles' door and a presence of cool metal that should be cold and off-putting, but it’s not. He doesn't want to admit to himself how much he's missed that presence. 

He swings the door open to reveal Erik leaning casually against the door, his arms folded over his chest. The ache in Charles' heart suddenly spikes.

"It sounds like Alex is back," Erik says. Charles catches a cloud of apprehension radiating off of him.

Charles' eyes narrow.

"How do you know?"

Erik raises an eyebrow.

"I'm surprised you can't hear them from here."

Charles focuses for a minute, blocking out all the pain and misery he's been wallowing in and lets himself be tangled in their intense love for one another. It vibrates in his mind for a moment, pure joy, and then a pang of bitterness. _His_ bitterness. It's all he wants. He swallows and pushes it all away.

Erik frowns. _Good._ He thinks. Erik should know this is his fault.

Erik had taken away his legs, his sister, his love, his hope, all of his resistance to giving in and giving up. He took everything Charles was with him, and it was far too difficult for him to patch up and fill the empty gaps in himself.

"It was never my intention to take everything away from you, Charles."

"What?" Charles asks, his eyebrows furrowing. Can Erik hear him? Is he projecting?

"You're not the only telepath, you know." He taps his head, and Charles' mouth drops open for a fraction of a second before he realizes Erik is joking.

Erik laughs, and despite all his grief, Charles finds himself chuckling.  _Idiot._ He thinks, and he’s surprised to find it’s fond.

"You get a furrow in your brow when you think about what I've done." Erik explains.

Charles reflects on that for a moment. Erik had been watching him. Cataloging all his little tells. His stomach churns at the thought.

"My only intention was to show the humans what we're capable of. How they have to accept us. But I also wanted to punish them for making us hide." He shakes his head. "It's ridiculous how naive you are about the cruelty the humans have against us, but I admire your hope." He pauses. "The humans have ripped us apart.”  Charles eyes flick up to his face, but Erik isn't meeting his eyes. "Just...look. I want you to see my intentions. So you know what I wanted."

Charles said he never wanted to be inside his head again. There’s too much pain that maybe he could've sorted through before the beach. Not now. He lets his silence speak for itself.

But then something new pushes through his mind. A clear voice shouts _PLEASE_. Charles winces.

“Not so loud,” He says.

“Please,” Erik says aloud, his voice hoarse from emotion.

He inhales sharply and dives in without thinking, like that first day in the water. He’s stunned by the calm in Erik’s mind. He expects turbulent waters with sharp edges and jagged rocks, but finds only the pleasant hum of metal and magnetic forces. His name flickers nearby and he follows, but it’s more like he’s being pulled by some kind of force.

And then he understands.

Erik sees him like a magnet. He’s a metal manipulator. He lives and breathes and works with magnetic forces, and he can never disregard them. Charles is his magnet, pulling him closer and closer and it terrifies him because it weakens his resolve for his cause. It’s the cause he’s pledged his entire life to.

What Erik doesn’t realize is, the magnet works on both ends.

Erik's begins to talk earnestly to him and Charles watches the words light up in his brain like fireworks.

"I came back because I'm willing to compromise. If I get to be near you, I won't try to eliminate the entire human race," He says. "That doesn't mean I'll stop fighting for our rights. It just means that I'm not going to purposely seek out trouble."

Charles' mouth is dry as he tries to find the words. He’s lost in his mind, completely captivated and enwrapped in the emotions stripped bare in front of him.

Erik has decided that Charles is his new cause, and though there’s the rest of the mutants, Charles is the most important one. He skims the top of his head and finds _I'msorryimsorryimsorry_ and _iloveyouiloveyouiloveyou_ and that's all it takes for his heart to feel bursting out of his chest.  He projects all his love and forgiveness to Erik,  and wheels himself forward.

Erik gasps as the feeling overwhelms him, but recovers quickly, and leans down to kiss him. Charles barely even feels their lips brush together as his mind is surrounded by love and joy, and the feeling of snipped heartstrings tying together to make him whole again. The holes in him are mending, if not forever, then temporarily with one word.

_Erik._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's all, loves. Thanks for reading!


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